You'll Have to Swallow Your Pride; Offer the Money

"In my speeder I have half of the tributes I've collected for Jabba the Hutt. You let me go, I give you directions to the other half, you make a lot more than you get knocking over one farm. Everyone wins."

Tekka looks at you questioningly. She certainly didn't see you hide half of the money somewhere. That would be because in this business, that's what would be called a "bald-faced lie". Thankfully, she's smart enough not to blurt anything out.

Shokka considers your offer, absently stroking her long braid. "This is maybe a good deal. Almost good enough. Here is new deal: I will take money, you will give me the location the rest, and than you will tell Jabba I have stolen from Naraya, not from him. Better deal, yes?"

"You want me to walk back, empty handed, and argue semantics with a Hutt? No, that is not a better deal."

"It's not semantics. It is business. You know Naraya is making play for Mos Espa. Hiring own soldiers, collecting extra tax." She pauses, considers tour blank expression and laughs. "You do not know! You really are thinking you work for Jabba!"

You aren't a fan of being mocked, but at least the pieces are starting to slot together. Naraya has been skimming payments. Probably found out she was close to getting caught, so she's gearing up for a reprisal. Hence the sudden increase on water taxes; it may not be sustainable, but short term it lets her build up a fighting ****.

"Fine. Better new deal. I'll give you the location of the other half of the tributes. I'll take this half back to Jabba so he doesn't do unspeakable things to me, and convince him that you are no enemy to him. So he doesn't do unspeakable things to you."

Shokka nods thoughtfully. "Last deal. Best deal: I take half you have here. You go to 'secret' half and bring to Jabba. You tell Jabba we are all friends. NOW everyone wins." She smiles widely and gestures to the Weequay leveling guns at you. "And as I say: it is last deal."

Shit. You didn't really think that would work, but it was worth a shot. You nod your assent.

As you dejectedly watch the Weequay pull the chests of coins out of your speeder, the raider on lookout suddenly starts jabbering wildly. You don't catch apt of it, but you're fairly certai. You've heard "Jabba" at least once. Shokka nods, suddenly on high alert. She grabs the scout's rifle, turns, and fires a high powered shot strait through the engine block of your speeder.

"Really?"

"It is fine! Jabba is coming to pick you up! Plan still the same." She grins cheekily. "So you don't need speeder anyway. Remember, Shokka is friend to Jabba!"

With that, she speeds along her merry way. You note with some small satisfaction there is one chest of coins the raiders didn't have time to unload. You'll look bad for losing a bunch of the money, but least you won't go emptyhanded.

You see a cloud of dust rapidly speeding towards you; there's nothing to do but wait for them to arrive. You stand with your arms raised as a convoy of speeders loaded down with a motley crew of rough customers arrives. They don't even let you stop and plead your case. Before you can talk, one of the gangster's guns flash blue, and everything goes dark.